Yes, I liked Lemmens's pressure in the forward, and yes he needs to improve goal kick. Some misses were shocking. Hoping McPherson will grab his opportunity, hearing good things about him this preseason. Sexton could also play in the forward.If god forbid something like this happens then we all sit in the corner and cry at yet another year of getting demolished by injury.
But seriously, I can see a few (albeit not exactly quality) options. Bring Day in and go tall. Lemmens is probably next in line purely due to his defensive efforts and the fact that even though he couldn't hit the side of a barn from 10m, he gets in goal scoring positions frequently. Young and/or Martin could play closer to goal with more of Barlow/Lyons/Miller in the forward line. Weller, Bowes and Fiorini all have the class to play across half-forward if required. Or we could hope like hell that young Powell and Heron take to Dew's gameplan and run their arses off defensively and fit in a couple of games (obviously Powell is a few years away from handling the rigours of AFL).
But lets hope it doesn't come to this for a change.
2018 general discussions
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- Jun 18, 2013
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Will Nick Holman start best 22?
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I only have year 10 behind me, many moons ago but I'll still have a crack at this.
Bowes, Brodie, Ah Chee. Young mids need to develop quickly & even if they break even most weeks that would be a win.
Highly unlikely.
Scotty_222
Norm Smith Medallist
I’m not so sure. They’ve liked him for a while, mature ager that can be picked at anytime.
Depends how list spots are aswell.
Also depends on if the kids get picked round 1.
I think he features early on for us
I can't see him in round 1 but should get opportunity. From preseason reports he's working on his outside game and kicking which is not great. He has a mature body so could come handy during the season. Wish Wigg did not break his ankle. He was my surprise tip for round 1.
Scotty_222
Norm Smith Medallist
He’s excellent inside.
Just depends whether they go lonergan, Brodie or Holman I think.
Agree, I watched his highlights. It got to be Brodie if he built his tank enough. It looks like Bowes also gets opportunity to spend some time in midfield.
SunsBhoy
Club Legend
From watching him last week , he is a lot bigger body atm to Brodie and Scheer , so there is a opening if Dew thinks he needs a bigger body in the guts to start with , but atm it is the great unknown how Dew is thinking.
Scotty_222
Norm Smith Medallist
Exactly, Brodie is the long term plan just depends if he has the tools to start there with the big boys or come in a little later on. I don’t think lonergan is in the race to be honest
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Crossley doesn't mind getting forward to kick a few. Not knocking Witts, who is clearly elite, but in plenty of matches during time on late in quarters you can just see the big man struggling. AFL coaches have been leaning away from playing two ruckmen, and Witts has certainly benefitted from the 3rd man up rule change, but I think there's value there in playing Crossley in a hybrid role to see what he makes of opportunities. It's gonna be a big pre-season for fringe players now that that the club enjoys such depth.
Scotty_222
Norm Smith Medallist
I’d rather Wright play that role. Clubs are going smaller and quicker in the forward line these days
SunsBhoy
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I remember speaking to a player late last season and asking him why Brodie had'nt been getting game time , the player said without thinking "its his tank " , by all reports it has improved though.
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I like Wright in that role too, but maybe more bench/resting time for Witts at the end of each quarter to maximise him. 2MP is 2 years younger than Joe Daniher and his 2017 stats are comparable if not slightly better than Skinny Joe's in 2015. Wright is a better ruckman, he has continually improving stats in areas like marking and 1%ers, while they both have similar goal-kicking accuracy. If we can get Joe Daniher level production then finals are realistic. Personally, I think Wright has Paul Salmon potential.
That’s the way 17er stick to writing about footy which you clearly have a lot of knowledge about and save your vitriol for the trolls when the season starts.
We need to use your talents for maximum good.
Sunraysia
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I think Lonergan might get first go as a bigger body in the guts. He's played 55 games, is playing for his future, and has a game that might appeal to Dew. He's never had a decent run of games - maybe he will get that chance this year.
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Only if he is allowed to just handball. No kicking
Lonergan's turnovers were killing me the last year.
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I felt like Eade mismanaged Lonergan something shocking last year. Naming him as an emergency week after week, never giving him a decent reward for his outstanding play in the NEAFL. A couple of times he was a late inclusion, with poor results. When he did manage to play 5 games in a row and get a decent run of form going, Eade dropped him, recalled him, dropped him, recalled him and then dropped him again, which is just a rubbish way of treating a 22 year old kid. The club renewed his contract because he is just too talented to let go. We know he isn't any good in defence and that he has unfulfilled potential as an inside midfielder. This season is make or break for him, but I've got a feeling that Dew can get the best out of him.
I hope you're right. We need big-bodied mids and if he's going to fulfil his obvious talent, then it has to be this year.
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I feel like I've seen this kind of list build before with the Brisbane Bears after they were forced to merge with Fitzroy. The team had some undoubtedly talented young players and Mick Voss had just won the Brownlow, but a few of their veterans were getting past it like Michael McLean, Scotty McIvor and Andrew Bews, and big names like Jon Barker, Adrian Fletcher and Nathan Chapman wanted out. By 1998, the list was over-filled with young players and the club came dead last after 3 straight years of finals. John Northey was a dead man walking and got axed mid-season (which was when Eade should have been sacked last year) and the legendary Roger Merrett stepped in for 11 games and played kids like Simon Black, Luke Power and the Scott twins.
The reason I make the comparison is that Leigh Matthews came in as a new coach and made some sensational draft picks and trades (which they actually totally whiffed on = Des Headland was #1 and they trade #5 to Port for Adam Heuskes in a draft that had Lenny Hayes, Jude Bolton, Josh Carr, Mark McVeigh and even Fevola!). The talented 18 to 25 year olds went out in 1999 and made it to the Preliminary Finals. Over the next couple of trade periods the club recruited ready to play talent to fit specific roles and continued to trade away Interstate players like Shane O'Bree, Craig Bolton, Steven Lawrence and fan favourite, D9 aka Jarrod Molloy, who Collingwood traded Mal Michael for in the most lop-sided trade of AFL history that might have cost the Pies a Premiership.
The similarities are striking, except the Suns are probably more 98 Lions with their list and 99 Lions with their coach. John Northey and Rocket Eade are remarkably similar in that they both played for multiple Premiership sides in their eras at Richmond and Hawthorn in the 60s and 80s respectively, while they are 2nd and 1st for most games coached without winning a Premiership.
Interesting comparison. The Bears had all kinds of issues in the early days but they figured it out eventually. Can the Suns do the same? I think so but they need to become less dependant on interstate players that are vulnerable to moves back to their home states. Local players like Michael Voss and Jason Akermanis were staples for the Lions in their hayday and you hope the likes of Bowes and Bailey Scott can do the same for the Suns. Their future is in their own hands given the circumstances with the academy system.
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Actually, the Lions did a great deal of Queensland recruitment and kept the Fitzroy connection with Lynch, Johnson and Pike having played for Fitzroy, Brown being drafted father/son and Power being a Lions supporter as a teenager. But as for the list they put together there were something like 12 Queenslanders who played in the 4 Grand Finals.
The Suns are drafting talent from the Academy and doing a great job of sourcing local talent:
Jarrod Harbrow
Jack Bowes
Alex Sexton
Lachie Weller
Rory Thompson
Jesse Joyce
Brad Scheer
Brayden Crossley
Connor Nutting
Max Spencer
Jacob Heron
Jacob Dawson
A few kids from Cairns, not to mention Steven May is an NT product, so we are doing well to develop the kids in our zones. Michael Rischitelli has lived in Queensland for 15 years and there were quite a few local players in the earlier years. 9 Academy players, with 5 having already debuted in AFL and a bumper crop coming through the NEAFL this year. A third of the list is now local players and well on the way to becoming half in the next 7 seasons.
LynchysMob
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Absolutely. I'd love if that was all his posts. Polar opposite to the shit slinging. 17er I will 100% backflip on everything I've said if you contribute like that rather than pick fights bud.
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SunsBhoy
Club Legend
We need elite junior talent coming through our academy , to date we have only had 2 1st rounders out of our academy in Weller and Bowes , Voss and Ackermanis where elite talents as juniors and they where able to build around guys like Black Lappin and Power , our issue in the last couple of years is we lose our elite talent to other clubs , we have lost in the last 2 years o’cockface , Prestia , Ablett and saad and maybe lynch this year .
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